Worgen
by gyrumm
Summary: The tale of a rogue who accepts to venture into Gilneas and finds that things changed.


Worgen

by Gyrum

Day 3

I decided to keep a diary. It's not much my style – I'm not really a writer person – but I need to leave some sort of record of what's happening here.

I'm currently lying down on top of a tree, waiting for the dawn. I'm hoping that it'll help. It may make it easier to find the girl I'm looking for. I'm also in the southern part of Gilneas, cut off from all civilization.

For the record, I'm Triant. I do things people usually prefer to not do. I find people, recover objects, and assassinate enemies. If you don't want to dirty your own pretty hands with something, you'll find me and I'll be glad to do it for you – for a price. I'm not cheap. I'm also really good at what I do.

I was hired by a big shot from Dalaran. Not from the town itself, of course – it's gone now, replaced by a huge magical bubble – but by one of those freaky, robe-wearing fellows you can find in the big cities. He claimed to be a big shot from the Kirin Tor and for the money he's paying, I'd believe if he told me he's the King of Stormwind. Anyway, the guy told me that this girl, someone else's daughter, had disappeared a few months ago. He gave me some information about her, not nearly enough. She was called Catelyn, she joined the Blackwater Raiders because she was bored with her mage life and she took off on a ship that disappeared somewhere between Booty Bay and Northrend. I was convinced it was a bad idea to take the job until he dropped a heavy bag in front of me and told me it was an advance payment.

Three. Thousand. Gold.

With three thousand gold, I could live like a king for a year.

The nagging voice in the back of my head – the same one that's now gloating at me, telling me how screwed I am – shut up and I took the money and the job.

To make a long story short, I found out the ship disappeared while passing by Gilneas' coast. Which was a very dumb idea. The Gilneans made it clear years ago that they wanted no business with anyone else. They were happy living behind that stupid wall they built. Most trading routes will go out of their way to stay away from Gilneas' coast, as ships are known to disappear while passing by. I hired a pair of goblins to get me in and out of Gilneas. I end up jumping from their airship with a parachute and a contraption that would supposedly allow me to fly for a short period of time. The plan was to get the girl, drag her to Greymane Wall and fly over it with their "jetpack".

I lost the jetpack before ever touching the ground. It was too heavy for the thin leather strap that held it and it feel into the river while I was still parachuting in.

I've been in Gilneas now for three days. Since the first, I noticed how empty the place looked. It seemed like everyone was hiding. On the second, I met them for the first time. I would call them worgens, but it would not do them justice. I met worgens before, mainly when I visited Darkshire for a few jobs. They're humanoid worgs, dumb as bricks and about as vulnerable as a regular canine. I was still a kid when I killed one for the first time.

Whatever they were, it was not worgen. Oh, they shared the same basic characteristics, yes, but the beasts here are so much more ferocious. They also wear tattered clothing, as if they were trying to imitate humans. The first pack I met had one of the worgen throwing a goddamn fireballs at me, as absurd as that sounds.

I ran and escaped. Didn't meet any of them earlier today, while there was sunlight out. I met this nice mage girl, however, and she told me that most people were living either in the small town surrounding Greymane Manor or in Duskhaven.

So, here I am. Sleeping on top of a high tree. Hopefully high enough to avoid being detected by the roaming things down below. If what the mage told me is correct, I should find the people from the ship to the North. That's only a couple of days travel from where I am. We'll see. I'll also try to find out more about those beasts.

Day 5

I haven't slept much in the past two days.

The worgen – I'm sure they're some sort of worgen now – keep howling and prowling the whole night and I can't afford to relax for a second. A snore, a broken branch and they'd spot me. Although I'm always really careful while traveling, the same pack I met days ago is still following me. I'm good at going by places undetected and they're still hot on my trail.

I'll reach Duskhaven tomorrow, though. During the day. I didn't see a single worgen pack during the day, thank the Light. They're only around by night. I'm sure the townsfolk will be able to tell me how to handle those things.

On the bright side, I picked up a trail on Catelyn. Sort of. I found some discarded wrecks by the roadside and a dagger in there. It's Dalaran craftsmanship and definitely magical. It was slightly dull but hummed with power. It was more of a power focus than an actual melee weapon. It had to be Catelyn's. I hope she's alive. I hate risking my neck for dead people.

Day 6

Duskhaven is nearly abandoned. The few people I met shook their heads sadly at me and told me to go away from Gilneas or the curse would get me. I wonder if the plague made it across Greymane Wall…? None of the denizens look undead. Quite the opposite – they're healthy and alive.

All the inns are closed in town. I'm sleeping in an abandoned house, hidden on the rooftop. I don't see a single living soul moving through the streets below me. Not even guards. I wonder if that's because of the worgen. If I had sense, I'd make for the Greymane Wall and find a way to go back to the world. Even Silverpine Forest seemed like a bright place close to Gilneas.

It doesn't matter. I took the job and I wouldn't abandon it. I'm likely the only hope this Catelyn girl has of getting out of this place and I can't turn my back to that. Or to the other three thousand gold that wait for me if I bring her alive and well.

I think there's something moving inside the house. There's leading to the roof where I am, so I better check it out.

Day 7

I made it out of Duskhaven alive. Somehow.

The movement inside the house was worgen. Only three of them, but they were tough to kill. Catelyn's dagger, Light bless, was the most effective thing against them. I think Catelyn enchanted it somehow beyond the magical focus thing. It left a burning trail on the worgen it touched.

The worgen managed to wound me, but no bites. Just claws and gashes from a sword one of them was using. That's good – I'm pretty sure a bite from those things would make for an infection. I don't have any healers handy to fight back any diseases and I need to be in top shape to survive here. I'm pretty skilled with bandages, but some things will only heal after a touch of a competent healer. I decided to bail when I saw how many worgen were prowling the streets. I don't think I know how to count that high. I don't think I can illustrate the problem the Gilneans have in their hands with those things.

I really need to find the girl and get out of here fast.

Anyway, if they're not in Duskhaven. Greymane Manor is the only option left. I'm heading that way, should be there by tomorrow's nightfall. I'll probably take a day to rest before I try to break into the place. Blood loss and those days with little sleep are taking their toll on me. I'm no longer a kid that can go for weeks with no rest.

Day 9

I must've been pretty tired. I blacked out completely last night. I remember lying down to sleep while the sun was setting and waking up… well, now. Sun's setting again.

My arm's feeling better. Gashes're no longer bleeding. I'll keep the bandages on for a few more days, though. Better safe than sorry.

The Manor is a high walled old house. From what I could see before I passed out, there's not much security on the outer walls. Maybe inside? The walls are scratched all over. I think the worgen keep trying to go in. Which makes perfect sense – it's the place with the most food around here. Worgen food, if you catch my drift.

I wonder where those worgen came from. Duskwood folk told me it was from a magical weapon from the Night Elf goddess. Thinking back, that's a bit vague. I mean, does it turn people into worgen? Or summon them? Who would be stupid enough to summon this many worgen? Or why, anyway?

Anyway, Manor walls. High, but unguarded. I circled over the place and had no luck finding a way to go in. If the goblin flying thing wasn't destroyed, I could probably use it to make my life easier. Apparently. I'm going to do this the hard way.

Day 10

They know I'm inside, but they don't know where I am or what I look like. I was even careful not to kill anyone on my way in. I mean, don't take me wrong, I've no qualms about a old fashioned stabbing or life taking, but I don't do it for free or needlessly. This girl paladin I once met – great legs, beautiful eyes, never gave me a second glance – told something pretty wise once. You can't really give back a life you've taken. Since then, I've been careful to kill when absolutely necessary.

Before you people start the old argument about the whole resurrection thing some healers can do, let me clear it up to you. How many people that you know were brought back? Whatever power is being used to give life back to someone is really, really picky about how it works. The same girl paladin brought me back to life a couple of times, but I've seen her fail to do so for better men. I guess when your time arrives, there's not much that can help you.

Anyway, I coated my daggers with this tricky poison I picked up when I was stealing this stuff from a tribe of broken in Zangarmarsh. If you don't recognize the name, don't fret. Civilians weren't allowed to take part on the Outlands offensive when they re-opened the gates in the Blasted Lands. Suffice to say it's a wet, moldy place with lots of mushroom and not enough friendly faces. This poison will paralyze your body but allow your heart and organs to keep working. Really wonderful thing. Became a favorite of mine for infiltration.

I made it through the first sentry guards with no problems. They didn't even notice me. I'm good at that, too. It's a frame of mind, a way of moving and blending into the environment. I doubt you'd notice me if I was standing five feet from you. Unless, of course, you're paying attention.

Although I circled the whole terrain before going in, I wasn't prepared for how huge the Manor was. More like a castle, really. I'd say it's about the size of the Lordaeron ruins. Maybe bigger. There's a small village within the first walls. I tried to make it through the inner walls but was spotted. I manage to paralyze one of the guards, but the alarm was sounded and I had to run back and mingle with the population.

I noticed they increased security in here. There are patrols with guard worgs moving through the crowd now. I'm going to lay low and use my own personal disguise to hide. You see, a while ago I picked up those white robes from the Northshire Abbey priests. If I pull the hood up and dress up on that, I can pass myself perfectly for a holy light man. I've even married a couple once.

Anyway, I checked in this inn under a fake name. My stuff is hidden under a loose floorboard in my room. I'll check this area more before trying to get into the Manor again.

Day 13

Catelyn is alive. And not a prisoner.

Haven't really had the time to write stuff the last few days. More so because my stuff – this diary included – is hidden carefully inside my new room. I can't risk being exposed.

So, turns out they were expecting a priest from Northshire to arrive. He should've been here a couple of days ago. I'm guessing he got eaten or something on the way. Anyway, when a patrol spotted me like I am dressed, they thought I was him.

I spent the last three days inside the Manor. Been treated like a king in here. I'm trying to understand what's going on. I'm good at faking knowledge and acting like I'm what I'm not, but this is stretching it. From what I gathered, this priest, Herity, was supposed to help them find a cure for the plague. I wonder how cut off from the outside world they are. The cure for the plague was found a while ago and most priests and paladins can heal it if it didn't progress enough to actually kill the victim. They can't reverse that particular death, of course. The Lich King's grip is too strong. I've been talking to their priests and alchemists about this plague and what they tried. They haven't asked me to do anything yet, thank the Light, but they will soon. What surprised me was who I was introduced to today, though. Catelyn. I was half expecting a hard edged girl dressed in pirate garb. She is, however, the perfect Dalaran magician in here. She's helping them as well with the plague.

I will talk to her tonight. Hopefully, she won't expose me.

Before that, however, I will give myself a full tour of the Manor and surrounding area. I need to come up with an escape plan.

Day 14

I couldn't talk to Catelyn. She wasn't in her room last night and I can't really explain the situation during the day to her. Not with so many people watching.

I think the local priest is starting to suspect me. I probably said something I shouldn't. He looks at me strangely all the time, as if expecting me to turn into an Orc and murder everyone. Go figure.

The plague here works differently, too. It's not a single infection that grows. It seems like it builds up slowly on the victim. You don't really fall ill, from what I've been told. You gradually turn into one of them. I'm assuming one of the Undead, of course. Repeated contact with the plague will also accelerate the process. It's also more resilient. Catelyn told me the usual cures will not work.

Korod, the local priest, told me that the Greymane Wall is kept close now to protect Lordaeron as much as to protect Gilneas. They don't want their own plague spreading through the continent. I can understand their fear, I guess.

On the bright side, my wounds are completely healed. I think they were shallower than I imagined. I took off my bandages today and noticed that there was barely a faint line marking the wounds. That is good.

I will talk to Catelyn today, after dinner. I'm sure I can corner her somewhere about it.

Day 15

She doesn't want to leave.

I was smart enough to not reveal that I'm not what I seem to be, but I did tell Catelyn that I was asked by her father to take her to Stormwind. She flat out told me that she wasn't going anywhere and that she planned on finding a cure to the plague.

I hate stubborn people.

Korod kept his distance from me the whole day and I saw him discussing something with Genn Greywolk, the King of Gilneas, while pointing and staring at me.

Tomorrow, I'll leave. And the stupid mage girl will go with me.

Day 16

Sometimes, the easiest solution to things is staring right at you.

I woke up early, before dawn. Stole a horse. Kept it somewhere I'd have easy access to it. Broke into Catelyn's room. She woke up but I managed to paralyze her before she put any fight. I dosed her with enough of the toxin to keep her still for a day or two. As my luck would go, she was naked. I had to get out fast or I'd be branded as a thief, murderer and a rapist. I think I heard they cut off a hand for thievery, an arm for murder and you don't want to know what they cut off from rapists. Clearing a path towards the entrance and the horse I stole was easy enough, but I had to run back to pick up Catelyn, now properly wrapped up in a blanket, and then out. I couldn't fight while carrying another person over my shoulder, but luck was with me and we encountered no one.

While most people would suggest that sneaking out is the easiest way to leave a place, they probably never thought it through. If you ride a horse out at full speed, odds are no one will manage to mount and give chase before you put a fair distance between yourself and your pursuers.

So that's what I did. I tied Catelyn to the horse's saddle (it's just like tying a sack of grain, really) and rode right through the guards and gates. At that early hour, none of them were really expecting a lunatic to make a break for it. Besides, I did notice over the last days that the Manor's security seemed to be oddly lacking on preventing people from leaving. They seemed really preoccupied into keeping the worgen out of the place.

I wonder why they didn't simply hunt down and kill the worgen. It shouldn't be such a big deal.

Right now, I think Catelyn and I are safe. Well. She's glaring at me with murder in her eyes, but such is life. We're nearly a full day ride away from the Manor, inside an abandoned grain deposit. I sent the horse running elsewhere. If they were still pursuing us, that should be enough to throw the Gilneans off.

I'll have to carry the girl towards the wall, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of days, even with the added weight. Just to be safe, I gave her a new dose of the toxin.

Day 17

I am an idiot!

Guess who wakened me up in the middle of the night while I was hiding in the grain deposit? You guessed it, a Light blasted worgen wearing sweet Catelyn's clothes!

I managed to scare it off with the magical dagger I had on me. Drove it through the beast's left flank and it took off, whining and scared. Not before it barely tore my left arm off with its teeth, though. I bandaged that wound up, but it hasn't stopped throbbing since then. I ran, of course. I'm nearly to the wall now.

I just assumed it was the undead plague that was infecting the Gilneans! Not for a moment I considered it was something completely new!

It all adds up now. Catelyn was captured and kept alive because she's an accomplished Dalaran mage. She was assisting her captors because she was infected. The towns full of worgen but with absolutely no humans at night. The worgen casting fireballs and using swords to attack. Genn Greymane didn't order the worgen to be destroyed because they are his people. He's trying to save them. The Greymane wall is held closed because if this plague spread to the rest of Azeroth, we'll have the Scourge invasion all over again.

I need to make it to the wall. I need help.

Day 18

I'm running a fever. The bite wound in my arm all but closed now. It's obviously healing at an accelerated rate. My older wounds, the ones I received in Duskhaven, did too, for that matter. For how long had I been infected? For how long will I be? It's now clear to me that I misunderstood Korod's interest in me. He recognized some early signs of the infection. Thinking back, I didn't slip about my identity at all.

I'm hungry.

Day 19

I ate a whole sheep today. Raw, I didn't bother cooking. Didn't feel like it. I can still feel the fever running, but my body seems healthier than ever. It's midday and I'm sleepy. I stayed up most of the night.

Day 20

My clothes are tight on me. I took most of them off. A pack of worgen found me a few hours ago. They kept their distance, just watching me.

Day 21

My new found vigor only exists at night. During day, I'm just a very sick man. I sleep through most of it.

I made it to the wall. It's not guarded, but the gates are sealed closed. It's high. When I tried to climb it, my hands were burned. I think it's enchanted to react to… worgen.

The pack is still following me. They still keep their distance.

I will hunt again now. I'm hungry.

Day 22

I can smell the people on the other side of the wall. I'm hungry. I decided to travel towards the Manor. That's the place with the most food around here.

Day 23

The worgen came to me and offered me food. I accepted. They will let me travel with them. We'll hunt together.

Day 24

They were farmers before. We talked during the day. We can't talk during the night. We don't want to. Greymane and his people don't understand. We're not worgen only during the night. We're worgen all the time, only in different bodies. The hunger is still there during the day.

Day 25

We made it to the coast. Some silly Horde ship tried to make repairs on the docks. Orcs and trolls have a spicy taste. I like it. Some of the others don't.

Day 26

I don't think there's a point in writing this any longer. There's nothing wrong with me. I feel at home here.

Day ??

I'm not sure what day it is. I'm not sure how long I've been like… that. A monster. I read the last few entries and my stomach revolted. My clothes are all worn out and torn, my backpack is the only thing that held. Barely. The journal was in there.

Greymane found a cure. Of sorts. Gave me my mind back. The hunger is gone, finally. I'm still a beast. Whenever I'm angry or afraid, it comes out and shows its ugly face. I know I turn when it comes, too. I can still think, but it's colored by this… fury. He explained to me that the cure was not complete. He just ran out of time. He couldn't afford to have the mindless worgen anymore.

Something happened a week ago. No one's sure what. The world changed. The sea raged, the ground shook. The wall came down and the Undead poured in, intent on conquering Gilneas. He asked for my help. To fight them back, to hold them at bay. I told him we should ask for Stormwind's help. He said he would.

I look around me and I see the Gilneans. We're no longer beasts. But we're still monsters. We are worgen.


End file.
